The present invention relates to a vehicle hitch assembly for suspension support of an accessory from the rear of a vehicle.
Present day pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles are often provided with a Class III or Class IV trailer hitch which has a horizontal box receiver positioned below the rear bumper of the vehicle. Instead of towing a trailer it is common practice to support a rack or accessory support in suspension from this hitch receiver to support an accessory in suspension off the rear of the vehicle, such as a rack to support a lawn tractor, spreader or a motorcycle, or a platform supporting luggage, equipment or containers, or for supporting a boom, crane or lift. For example, see Liscinsky, U.S. Pat. No. 5,310,100, issued May 10, 1994, for CARRIER FOR MOUNTING ON VEHICLE HITCH.
The problem encountered with such carriers is that the trailer hitch receivers are designed to handle the tongue weight of a trailer and the pushing and pulling stresses of towing a trailer. They are not designed for excessively heavy torque loads applied downwardly on the hitch receiver imposed by heavy loads supported in suspension on a rack or platform supported from the receiver hitch.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,148,928, issued on Nov. 21, 2000 to Spears, discloses a hitch assembly which attaches to a pickup truck and which attempts to eliminate or reduce this problem. This hitch assembly supports a 3 point hitch from the rear of the pickup truck by supporting the device in suspension not only from the hitch receiver of a Class III or Class IV hitch, but in addition, further supports the load from a goose neck hitch mounted in the center of the truck bed above the rear axle of the truck. However, the problem here encountered is that the pickup truck bed cannot otherwise be utilized in its intended manner for accommodating a load, and in addition, the pickup truck tailgate cannot be used in its normal intended manner. This also holds true for sport utility vehicles and vans as such a hitch assembly would interfere with the normal use of the cargo area and the tailgate or lift back.
It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a hitch assembly for suspension support of an article from the rear of a vehicle which eliminates these aforementioned deficiencies and provides adequate support for supporting heavy loads from the rear of the vehicle in suspension.